1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a buckle assembly for use in releasably joining loose ends of belts or straps secured to garments, bags, helmets, sports gears and the like.
2. Prior Art
There are known numerous buckles or fastening devices of a two-piece structure comprising a male member and a female member releasably engageable therewith. For example in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-44649 there, is disclosed a molded plastic buckle structure which comprises a female member in the form of a relatively flat cylindrical body having side apertures and a male member having a pair of laterally spaced resilient arms each including outwardly projecting finger press portions adapted to releasably lock with the corresponding side apertures in the female member.
Another somewhat similar buckle device is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-53690 in which the disclosed buckle is comprised of a female member; i.e. a flat receptacle body having concaved side apertures and a male member; i.e. an insert body having a pair of laterally spaced legs each provided at respective leading ends with hook-like projections for releasably engaging with the side apertures in the receptacle body.
Both of the above prior art buckle devices have a common design concept such that the area of interengagement between the male and the female member is located along both outer sides of the buckle body with the results that if the male member and the female member were disengaged from each other at one side of the buckle, there would be rotational or torsional torque developed at the other side of the buckle where the two members remain interengaged. Such rotational or torsional torque tends to increase more the farther the area of interengagement is located away from the center of the buckle, eventually causing separation between the male and female members and sometimes damage to the buckle.